air traffic control

A Thomas Cook Airbus A330 departing yesterday from Manchester Airport in the UK experienced what most are calling a right engine compressor stall on takeoff thrust. A popular plane-spotter captured it on video, and it’s certainly worth a watch – not only for the “lovely” comment by an air traffic controller (I’ll put it in…

On Thursday, I dedicated a post to reviewing my positive experience flying United Airlines post-system conversion this past Wednesday, and wanted to dedicate another post to a very appreciated gesture from the Captain on one of my flights that day. I’m a huge fan of United’s Channel 9 air traffic control audio feed and I…

Here’s an incredible video showing how flight paths might be arranged in the future. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the UK proposes that aircraft enroute to their destinations fly as if they were a flock of birds in a V-shaped formation to reduce drag and improve lift. The organization states flying in such a…

In other airline, hotel and travel industry news this week… The Transportation Security Administration has officially started a “trusted traveler” program this week. According to the TSA, “This pilot program will help assess measures designed to enhance security by placing more focus on pre-screening individuals who volunteer information about themselves prior to flying in order…

Several smaller stories in the airline, hotel & travel industry caught my attention this week and I’ve summarized them below: A Canadian couple sued Air Canada and won an award of C$12,000 (plus an apology) from the airline failing to serve them “in French” aboard their flights to the United States. Records show the passenger,…

This time-lapse video landed in my inbox via FlightAware showing about an hour and 10 minutes of runway activity at Boston’s Logan Airport. Condensed to less than three minutes, it’s fun to watch the various aircraft pause for downfield arrivals, then zip quickly up into the sky. The person who shot this footage was greeted…

As a former student pilot, I appreciate listening to “From the Flight Deck” (Channel 9) onboard United Airlines flights. While it is the captain’s prerogative as to whether or not to offer it on each flight, I have found it available more often than not. It brings the flights to life and enables you to…